Two recent unrelated events – both espoused by ‘our’ illustrious leaders – have really gotten up my nose. The second of the two, which received the media attention it was aiming for on Monday (Nov 28) – which would probably go against the grain of the first and be of some annoyance to the former NSW Premier Bob Carr who made it – has annoyed the shite out of me (to be polite!). They both relate to (read fucked up!) considerations of nuclear power in Australia.

The first of these involved Bob Carr’s attempts to divert attention from something (I forget what is was indicating the efficacy of the tactic, although I think it was a proposed coal‐fired power station) unpopular by touting something of significantly less popularity. In the wake of this unpopular issue, and also to divert attention from a controversial reverse osmosis water treatment facility (sea‐water to drinking water) as a ‘solution’ to the current ‘water crisis’ (i.e. another technological fix ‘band‐aid’), it was proposed that a nuclear power should be considered as an option/was essential for powering the treatment plant. At the time it seemed the treatment plant was never going to see the light of day – and it may not still – though a lot more detail has found its way into the mainstream media. I think there is a good chance that there will be a ‘back‐flip’ on the water plant closer to the next state election alongside spin that the government listens to the people. The nuclear power plant, however, dropped from public discussion almost as quickly as it was proposed – clearly indicating that its mention was more spin.

This brings me to the second, and unrelated yet related event. After decades of massive public oppositions to, and controversy surrounding, uranium mining in Australia – with the late 1990s seeing one of the largest and sustained broad‐reaching environment campaigns in a long time in Australia (Jabiluka) – and years of controversy surrounding a proposed ‘nuclear waste dump’, the federal government has thrown the nuclear power issue out there. What gets to me is not that these right wing neo‐liberal reactionary fuckstains would consider such an issue (aside from the many and varied reasons why no other country is really going there – even the neo‐conservative ones), it is the manner it which it was put forward and the tactics of spin it draws on…

Aside from the usual anthropocentric rhetoric – and the pretence of speaking for us all: ‘think we owe it to ourselves to examine all of our options’ that also embodies that such direction – the real bull shit and the most ridiculous justification I think I have ever come across was calmly and PR‐manufacturedly stated:

We can’t responsibly dig 30 percent of the world’s uranium out of the ground, export it overseas and allows some 450 reactors to operate in other parts of the word and not seriously consider this is an option for ourselves.

This is laced with so much shite, invoking so much constructed sensibilities, appeals to an implied common sense and dressed up to not address any of the issues at all! The result – an inquiry that will further varnish layers of shit so much so that it don’t smell anywhere near as bad as it should. Pseudo public involvement will be implied as a means to infer consent and the best outcome for us all – that is, again, unless the issue is to unpopular alongside many other issues come the next federal election.

Under the ‘we have come a long way’ techno‐fix bullshit (they are still relying on a process proven to not work in the 1980’s: synrock – and yes I have seen it and the scientific reports on its testing – my technical knowledge of this stretching back to the late 1980s) we have career academics enjoying the spotlight.

There is so much rhetoric and bullshit… the question that perhaps needs to asked is why is it the Federal Education Minister (who is trying to destroy student mobilisation against the government by making it ‘illegal’ to politically organise on campus) talking publicly on issues ‘outside his portfolio’. Rumour has it he has behind closed doors support to run for the leadership of the party/prime minister once John (spin doctor supreme) Howard finally resigns – or loses the next election… something to keep an eye on?

The final word for me… Brendan Neslon (and the rest of them): FUCK OFF!